Thermal imaging cameras are used in a variety of situations. For example, thermal imaging cameras are often used during building inspections to thermally inspect the walls and surfaces of the building. Thermal inspections can detect hot spots, colds spots, or other areas of thermal waste. Thermal inspections can also help detect moisture or overheating machinery or electrical equipment in the building. With knowledge of the thermal profile of a building, an operator can quickly and efficiently take corrective action.
Depending on the configuration of the camera, the thermal imaging camera may include a compass that helps orient the user during operation of the camera. The compass may provide a heading that is displayed by the camera during use. The heading provided by the compass may also be recorded when capturing a thermal image. An operator may use the heading at a later date to capture a thermal image of the same scene from substantially the same orientation. The operator can then compare the subsequently captured thermal image to the original thermal image to monitor thermal changes in the scene over time.
In applications where a thermal imaging camera includes a compass, it may be useful to calibrate the compass occasionally to reduce or eliminate any imprecision or inaccuracies in the heading provided by the compass. Such inaccuracies may be caused by interference sources, such as magnetic interference caused circuitry or hardware, or inaccuracies caused by time, temperature, and the like.